Anyone think The Diplomat on Netflix is an NC-17 reincarnation of Madam Secretary? You see it… I know you see it…

Kate and Hal Wyler are career diplomats. Kate is now US ambassador to the United Kingdom and her husband is a retired – sorta – ambassador who has a lot to say…

Story: This is a series that is very detail driven in international politics. There is no way around having diplomat-consultants providing content, fact checking dialogue, researching potential storylines… this is an exercise in high intellect.

On one hand, the writers need to be versed in political dialogue BEFORE developing intrigue and the other hand needs to create interesting storylines. And like Madam Secretary, it all has to come together, be consistent and be believable.

This drama is putting it all together like Madam Secretary with a few exceptions: dirty jokes, colorful language and explicit sex scenes. The real uncensored guts of politics that you can’t do or say on network television. The freedom makes the experience more refreshing.

Performances: Kate Wyler played by Keri Russell and Hal Wyler played by Rufus Sewell love to hate each other and hate to love each other. Pick one. They don’t bicker… they matter-of-factly insult each other over everything. This is the brilliant civil service power couple who thrive on being brilliant together as the basis of their relationship. They don’t really know each other outside of their lives as diplomats mostly because they don’t have lives outside being diplomats. And the spiral continues…

Enter a few key characters: Allison Janey as the US VP and Bradley Whitford as HER eccentric husband. Yet another couple dynamic that survives in circles. Put them together and try to keep up… you’re on a ride…

And for intelligence confirmation, there are embassy staffers Eidra Park played by Ali Ahn and Stuart Heyford played by Ato Essandoh. These are important characters because they keep the title of the show from being a complete scam; they’re doing all the work while the Wylers decide whether they want to kill each other or not…

All Emmy nominations are welcome…

Visual: This series is a good exercise in continuity. It suggests a global backdrop and pretty well delivers in dialogue and in location. Wardrobe is also an interesting way to define some of the characters like the simple, sometimes disheveled Ambassador who regularly needs a reminder that she is a public person in the public eye.

Rating: The Diplomat gets a B+. The effort one needs to pull off this subject matter certainly gets an A+, but sometimes the scenarios and the back and forth between characters gets annoying. But the story keeps moving forward so…

If you loved Madam Secretary on CBS, you will love The Diplomat as well. And the best way to see it? Binge watching, of course.